My Future Quilting Studio

 I haven’t transferred my cable service to my new home yet so I am posting this using my iphone. It’s not ideal,  but it works. This will be my new quilting studio once I unpack a zillion boxes. It looks crazy, but most of the banker boxes contain fabric which should all fit in this cabinet. 

Okay, I might be dreaming, but I consolidated and gave away, so this should (fingers crossed) house all the fabric that I brought with me. I also have a bureau for my cross stitch projects and supplies, and another storage bench for my wool. 

Miss Emma stayed two nights with her second family while I was moving, but now she is settling right in here. 

One great feature of this new home is a small fenced in backyard. The first morning she was here we were outside. I was sipping an iced coffee and contemplating how perfect it all was when I realized that I had not seen Emma for a few minutes. I got up and went around to the other side of the small yard. . . no Emma! It was then that I discovered that there was gap between the fence and the house. It was wide enough for a certain schnauzer to slip through. I dashed out to the driveway and spotted her trotting down the sidewalk happy as could be checking out her new neighborhood. Thankfully, I caught up to her and brought her home. I later brought two pieces of wood from my basement along with two bricks to block off her escape route. It is behind a large bush, so it will not be visible to folks walking by. 

I went back to my previous home this afternoon and spent a few hours working on clearing out the basement. Tomorrow is Sunday, so I will be taking a well deserved day of rest.

Try to keep cool during this coming week’s heat wave!

Moving Day - June 17, 2025

 

Here is my present dining room as of an hour ago.Things are going well.  I may not be able to post for a few days as I will have a zillion boxes to start unpacking! Fortunately, many friends have offered to help.

In my next post, I will share something wonderful that happened this morning, a sure sign that this was the right move for me. :-)

Have a good week!

Moving Right Along - #4 For Real : CrunchTime - UPDATE!!!

 I closed on my new home last Friday, and Moving Day is this coming Tuesday. Am I ready? Well, yes and no. I have cleared out the attic which was the land of abandoned luggage. Last Saturday, my cousin Kris and her daughter Miss T passed down suitcase after suitcase. It was crazy. Why so many? I, myself, have three different sized suitcases, my mom had one, and one had belonged to my brother. Then there were perhaps three or four which had belonged to my aunts. It was a regular museum of retired suitcases. The oldest was a brown leather suitcase with my dad’s monogram. I put six or seven out on the sidewalk, and all but one was taken. Two were hard side American Tourister bags. They were really heavy empty, so I can’t imagine what they were like filled with clothes. The man who took them wanted them for storage. He didn’t seem concerned that I only knew the combination to unlock one of the bags. He seemed confident that he would be able to figure out the code. I wished him luck! 

I live on a busy street, so most things were taken within twenty-four hours. Quickest to go: a bookcase made by my brother in shop class in the sixties. It was gone in five minutes!!! It was nice but my new home has built in bookcases, so I wasn’t taking it. Another fast mover was a vintage, and I do mean vintage, chaise lounge with two matching chairs. You know the type with the aluminum frame and webbing. I put them on the sidewalk and walked down the hill to put something in my friend’s barrel as mine was already filled. As I was walking back up the hill, I saw a woman stop and examine the set and then look around. When I got closer, she asked if I knew who owned them. . . my response: Well in about three minutes, I hope they will be yours! She was super happy to take them as her family does a lot of camping, and she thought they would be perfect. I was happy too as I know the chairs which had been stored in the garage had never been camping before and I imagine they would enjoy it. ;-)

Moving is a team effort. As I mentioned previously, friends have packed my china, taken things to be donated at various places, and kept the process moving. A neighbor who lives down the street, has come twice with his son to haul heavier items to the sidewalk. This morning it was another shop class desk and a maple rocker. At last check, only the desk is still there. Peter told me not to hesitate to call if I have more items to go out. Peter was one of my eighth grade students many, many years ago. He is quite a wonderful character. I’m glad that he took home a heavy, wooden Christmas tree with lights that had been made for me by another neighbor. I loved putting out the tree, but each year the process was a bit more difficult. Pete  loves Christmas, so I am certain it will be in very good hands.

My cousin Greg came with his truck on Sunday to haul many boxes to my new home. Yes, I’m having movers come on Tuesday, but I had about a zillion banker’s boxes filled with fabric. At twelve to  fifteen dollars a yard, I wasn’t about to chuck it. With the help of my friend Annmarie, I had brought many bags of fabric and quilting books to put on the back table at our guild. I was happy giving it to fellow quilters,  but I just didn’t want it to end up in a landfill. Don’t worry; with the amount of fabric, wool, and cross stitching items that I am bringing to my new home, I’ll never have to shop again. . . no, really, I’ll have enough to keep me busy until I’m  at least ninety-five. :-)

I had been pleased with how things have been going until last night when my back told me in no uncertain terms that I have been lifting and carrying way too much. My cousin Kristin and Miss Lucy came this afternoon to help, and we got a great deal accomplished. (Well, they did; with my back issues, I just directed efforts.) 

Later, we headed up to my new home where my friend Kathy L, a human dynamo, continued to organize my kitchen while I sat on a comfortable stool and watched. 

How lucky am I!!!!!!! I’m moving into a dream home, and friends, family and neighbors are helping make the move possible. Keep good thoughts that my back feels better soon as I only have three days left to PACK!!! Movers will take the furniture, and I’ll no doubt be back to finish things here . . . 

Wait did someone ask about the cellar? Please don’t as that will be a project in itself. The work bench is clear, all the tools have been given away, but there are still totes and boxes of holiday items to go through and then bring to my new home. Maybe it will take a week? Two? I’d like to get this home on the market soon. Once again, think good thoughts and wish me luck!

UPDATE: My cousin Greg’s look of horror this morning when I pointed to things that I hoped he would bring up to my new home for me.

He hauled all this and more!!! What a great guy!!! There will definitely be a quilt in his future once I get a zillion boxes unloaded. ;-)

Moving Right Along #3 - Crunch Time

 Greetings from the land of packing boxes . . . I’d like to tell you that I am making great progress, but that would not be totally true.Let’s just say that things are moving steadily along. I pass papers on my dream home in three days, and the movers will be here on the 17th.

My home definitely looks different. Two oriental rugs were picked up this morning to be cleaned and will then be delivered to my new home. A friend broke up a large credenza, and that makes the dining room seem much larger. He will use the mahogany wood in his woodworking projects.

The sidewalk has been busy as I put out items, big and small. It is amazing how quickly things are taken. Some things are scooped up in only five or ten minutes; items still on the sidewalk at night are usually gone by morning. Other furniture pieces which I am not taking will be donated to charity.

I wanted to share a tip with you. This small side table was badly sun bleached from probably twenty plus years in the sunporch.

Could it be saved? Why, yes, it could! After reading reviews, I applied one application of Howard Feed and Wax” and look at the difference. Amazing!

I also used it to revive a vintage washboard from our cellar which I plan to hang in my laundry room. Yes, no more lugging laundry from the second floor to the basement and then back up again for me; I’ll be living in SUNNYLAND!!!

It has been an incredibly daunting task going through all the treasures/stuff in this house. . . seventy years worth, but occasionally I have found something that I don’t remember having ever seen before. Case in point, this light green Abingdon USA vase. A search indicated that it was probably from the 30s or 40s. When my aunts years ago had their kitchen updated, my dad, crafty fellow that he was, removed their old cabinets and reinstalled them in our cellar. This vase was in the back of one of the bottom row of cabinets.

It will have a place on one of the shelves in my built-in bookcases. ( I am truly looking forward to decorating all of those shelves! )

That’s it for now. Have a wonderful week.

Moving Right Along - 2

Well,  it has been a bit since my last post, but I have been up to my neck in packing boxes. Fortunately, I have friends helping with this formidable task. One of the questions that I have been asked a lot is about my gardens. Won’t I miss them??? Yes and no. It was getting to be far too much work. I’m planning to take some of my irises and a few other favorite perennials, and then I’ll let friends and neighbors take what they want.

True story . . . one of my friends moved a few years ago. She, too, had beautiful irises and other plantings. She told the new owners that if they decided that they didn’t want the plants in the garden, they should call her and she would come back and remove them. The owner assured her that he would do that. Not long after, she drove by her old home and found that everything had been mowed down. So, I have no illusions about my gardens, and frankly, that is okay with me. I’ll take some special plants to my soon to be new home and that will be fine with me.

My brother had purchased these gorgeous peach irises for my mom about a zillion years ago for Mother’s Day.

When I sold the house where my aunts had lived, I brought home these pretty irises.

These two-toned irises have bloomed in the same spot my entire life.

And, of course, I’ll transplant a few of these blue flag irises.

I’ll bring along a few other favorites perennials, but not too many.

I’m going to try to find a few moments to paint a few of my shepherd hooks to display some hanging baskets. For me, gardening up is the way to go! I’ll have plants on the deck and near the front door, but all and all, it will be a simpler more manageable display. 

Weymouth always has a Memorial Day parade, but not this year. Instead, there will be something very special happening. At 11:00 at the RalphTalbot Amphitheater next to Town Hall, there will be the unveiling of five statues representing soldiers from our town who received the Medal of Honor. There is nowhere in the entire United States that has shared this distinction of having five Medal of Honor recipients. There are five elementary schools named in honor of these men. There will be speeches and the US Coast Guard Band will perform. I would definitely be there if a friend wasn’t coming to help me with my mountain of boxes. You can be sure that I will drive over and take photos of the statues later in the afternoon.

Have a good week.

Moving Right Along . . .

 For fun, I am documenting my moving experience. Packing up or disposing of seventy years worth of ‘stuff’ is a daunting task, but fortunately I have friends helping me. So, how has it being going? I would say it is going well. My china and glassware are all safely packed. There are stacks of boxes everywhere: some packed and some empty and waiting.

A friend came with his friend on Wednesday to cart away a very large bookcase that my dad had built for me many, many years ago. It will have a new home at a food pantry. My dad would be pleased about that. Today they came back for another bookcase. I imagine you can guess what I’m now dealing with . . . a zillion books. Some quilting books I have left on the back table at guild meetings along with two shopping bags full of fabric. Don’t worry; I still have enough fabric to last a lifetime. Other  books will be donated. Don’t worry; I will still have a bookcase full of favorite quilting and crafting books which I am keeping. 

Yesterday I put out on the sidewalk two aluminum frame chairs and one ancient, red chaise lounge still in good working order. It could not have been more than ten or fifteen minutes before a woman stopped. She appeared to hesitate. I came walking up the hill after putting some trash in a friend’s barrel. When I got closer, she asked if I knew whether these items were free, and I assured that they were. She said that her family enjoys camping and that these pieces would be great. Three more items gone . . . 

The men who do my mowing also happily left with items from the garage: crowbars, two sledge hammers, two large pick axes, and two old coal shovels. After the closing, they will help me move my gardening tools, garden decorations, bags of fertilizers and other such things to my new home. 

Whenever we have a rain-free day, it is my intention to put items out on the sidewalk. I almost forgot; someone also took the puppy gates that I put out this morning and some neighbors are taking my picnic table. So, all things considered, I am making progress. Now if only I could just get some sleep!!!

One last thing . . . too worn out to cook the other evening I picked up some Chinese food, and you are not going to believe this. There were four fortune cookies: two for Emma and me to share the first evening and two saved for the next night’s leftovers. When I broke open the fourth cookie, this is what I saw. . . 

In case it is unclear, it reads “A positive change in your living situation is on the horizon this month.”

Now that is downright spooky cool and, yes, I’m going to frame it!!!

Keep smiling.

Once Every Seventy Years . . .

 In my previous post I spoke of being crazy busy in a very good way. I had been on a fun, four-day quilting retreat in Sturbridge with members of the Herring Run Quilt Guild. That was not the only reason I was and continue to be so busy. While away, my realtor informed me that my offer on a new home had been accepted. WOW!!!!!!!

As some of you know, my parents brought me to the home that I live in as a baby. I love my neighbors, my gardens, my sunporch, and my large backyard. Friends, however, have been encouraging me to move to a one level home. 

My friend Kathy L. lives with her husband in a 55+ community in South Weymouth. Her home is absolutely lovely. She has let me know whenever a home has gone on the market, and I’ve always made up some excuse not to go check it out.

Well, a one level home recently came on the market and she “dragged” me to the open house two weeks ago. I went reluctantly, and as God is my witness, when I walked in I knew that this was the perfect home for me. It’s gorgeous and offers everything that I could possibly want including a sunroom, deck, a garden area, and a fenced in yard for Emma. Oh, it also has more closets and cabinets than I could ever imagine.

I’ve decided that the guest bedroom which is fourteen by fourteen will become my dream quilting, cross stitching, and wool applique studio.

The only downside is trying to go through seventy years of “stuff.” I am incredibly blessed to have friends who have been helping me pack, a daunting but exciting task.

Yesterday was bittersweet as I had the family piano hauled off. No one wants pianos anymore. It had belonged to my Aunt Mildred and was over one hundred years old. She was an excellent pianist. I haven’t played it much in recent years, and I couldn’t see trying to fit it into my new home. 

So, while I may not be showing any new creative work for a while, do stick around for this amazing adventure. My home is filled with boxes, and I pass papers on June 6.

I’m now totally convinced that everyone should move at least once in seventy years. Wish me luck!!!